Radio apparatus



Oct. 17, 1933. J E, SAMPSON ET AL 1,931,012

RADIO APPARATUS Filed June 12, 1930 [ML j III 7/1/13] I I I Iconstruction so as not toadd appreciably to the the cover removed;

a the way in which the sound impulses in different Patented Oct. 17, 1933 NT] OFFICE I v RADIO APPARATUS Julian E. Sampson and John. C.Sampson. St. I Louis; Mo assignors to Unitedv Research Corporation, LongIsland City, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 12,1930., Serial Nb. 460,638 5 Claims. (crew-20)" This invention pertainsradio apparatus and more particularly "to means for indicating theadjustment of such apparatus. a

Certain types of radio sets are equipped with means for adjusting thetone quality of the transmitted impulse. This adjustment is of such anature as to vary the relative strengthof the impulse in the base andtreble regions thereof. This adjustment is usually made by means of aso-called push-pull connection, such'connec' tion' including a variableadjustment which range'from base to treble.

One of 'the objects of this invention is to'provide amethod and meansforindicating this adjustment of. tone quality visually on the set.-

' Another object is to make such indication by means of i in the set. v7

Another object isto provide means whereby strengthens orweakens theimpulses along the the color "display may be such as to provide anindication of the tone quality for which the 'set is adjusted. I f

Another-object is'to provide an indicating device in which colors arearranged in a manner suggesting range of tone qualities so that theindication may be such as to suggest scheme a' particular tone quality.7

Another object is to provide*suchindicating means which will be ofsimple 'and' inexpensive by its color cost of the set.

Furtherobjects will appear from the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing; in which:---

Figure 1 is a front view of part of a radio set equipped inaccordancewith this invention shown with part of the front broken awayso as to illustratefthe underlying elements.- a

' Figure 2' is a partial plan view of the setwith Figure 3 is asectional fragmentary view of the front of a set illustrating anotherembodiment of this invention; i

Figure 4 is a conventional diagram showing part of the'connections of aradio; set and illustrating the push-pull connection; and 1 Figure 5 isa face view of an indicating element showing another arrangementthereof.

The tone quality of a radio set depends upon parts of the audible rangefrom base to treble are combined or blended and on the relativestrengths of the impulses in difierent parts of that range. As sometypes of radio apparatus to make the indication visual.

color display at an appropriate point have a; tendency to exaggerate theimpulses in :L

'one p'art of the range as compared with those in another part such anadjustment is intended to equalize or balance the impulses over the en-'tire range so as to improve the quality of the resulting tone. While themeans for makingsuch 4.3,

adjustment are well known and many sets are equippedtherewith, it isdesirableto'provide sim- 'ple and eifective means forindicating thecondition of such adjustment. It is further desirable "In accordancewith the presentinvention the indication is'made visual by displaying anappropriate color scheme for each adjustment of the regulatingdevice. Asequence of different colors is arranged to be displayed successively inaccordance with the progressive adjustment of the gressive change ofquality such as may be obtained in such regulation of the radio set.-Any othe. sequence of colors may, however,'be used,

if found appropriate. The arrangement maybe such asto display a singlecolor at a time, the different colors coming into view successively ac-;cording to'the adjustment. Other arrangements may be made such,'forinstance, as to show suc cessive groups of colors or different colorblends. In the accompanying drawing which shows several ways inwhichthis invention may be'put into efiect l indicates a radio set ofany suitable type. This may be a receiving set of suitable constructionhaving a tuning dial 2which is usually visible thru'a window in thefront of the case as. indicated at 3. The dial 2 is often constructed oftransparent celluloid or similar material and'may be illuminated by alamp 4 usually placed behindthe dial. r r

As shown'in Fig. 4 certain tubes 5 of the .set

6 and a variable resistance '7. The rheostat containing the resistance'7 is shown in Fig. 1 at 8. Such a rheosta't is usually provided With amanipulating button 9 moving a contact arm 10 over the resistance?arranged in a circular'coil. Any

"other suitable type ofrheostat may, of course, be

x The invention is not limited to any particular stantially none of thehigher audio frequencies The color system are shunted by a circuitincluding a condens'er' of the resistance '7 is cut out and" still moreof such higher frequencies by-passed so as to accentuate the base notesstill further, stillanother color appears at the sight window 3.

In accordance with this invention, the color indication may be providedby an indicating element 11 which may be constructed in the form of adisc of celluloid or other transparent or translucent material. Thisdisc may be mounted on the same shaft with the arm 10 so as to rotatetherewith. Diiferent proportions of the disc 11 may be of differentcolors as indicated in Figures 1 and 5. In Fig. 1 the colors arearranged in sectors. In Fig. 5 spiral bands of different colors arearranged on the disc. The disc 11 maybe mounted so as to extend betweenthe lamp 4 and the dial 2 so, that the light of the lamp must traversethe discv 11 inorder to illuminate the dial. Accordingly, the dial willbe illuminated with different colored light according to the position ofthe disc 11 and, therefore, in accordance with the adjustment for tonequality.

In the arrangement of Fig. 1 the colors are. displayed successivelyalong the range of adjustment. For instance, the white sector mayindicate the extreme adjustment in which the treble portion of theaudible range is strongest. The colors are then displayed successively,for instance, in the order blue, green yellow, orange and red, the lastcolor indicating the adjustment in which the base portion of the audiblerange is strongest. Thus the color indication provides an index of tonequality. In the ar-, rangement of Fig. 5 the same six colors may bearranged in spiral blends in order to progress from the outer rim of thedisc inwardly. It will be noted that in this arrangement the whiteindication for the treble isnot eliminated entirely but is simplyreduced in extent as the other colors are brought successively into theindicating field. The successive indications are made by adding colorsto the group in the indicating field so that when the last adjustment isreached all of the colors are displayed. Any other scheme of colorindication may, of course, be adapted. I

In Fig. 3 is indicated an arrangement in which the dial 30 iscylindrical and the disc 11 is replaced by a suitable cylindrical screen110.

It will be seen, therefore, that this invention provides for indicatingthe tone quality of a ouencyor pitch, any other arrangement may, of

course, be used.

While in the illustrated embodiment the colors are displayed bytransmitting the light thru a varicolored screen, the display may, ofcourse,

be made by reflected light rather than by transmitted light. In thearrangement illustrated the illumination for indicating tone qualityadjust ment is displayed at the same window at which the tuningindication is given. The color display may,of course, be made separatelyfrom the tuning indication, if desired.

In accordance with the method of this inven tion the display of anappropriate color is used to indicatea tone quality for which the set isadjusted and the sequence of colors may be arranged to indicate asequence of pitches.

Where a remote-control device is used for making adjustments of the set,the tone quality indication in accordance with this invention may i beincorporated in the remote-control unit.

The tone quality indicating device of this invention may, of course, beconstructedas a separate unit which may be applied to any existing radioset.

While this invention has been described and illustrated as applied to aunitary device, it will be understood that, certain, individual featuresand sub-combinations may be useful of themselves and the employment ofsuch individual features or sub-combinations is contemplated by thisinvention and is within the scope of the appended claims.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in details ofconstruction, within the scope of the appended claims, without departingfrom the spirit of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understoodthat this invention is not to'be limited to the specific details shownand/or described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: V

1. In a radio sethaving means for regulating the tone quality of thetransmitted impulse,

an illuminating device, means for varying the color of the illuminationthereof in accordance with the variation in the tone quality, and astation dial arranged to be illuminated by said device. f

2. In a radio set having means for regulat ing the tone quality of thetransmitted impulse, a visual indicating element, and means forvaryingthe indicating color of said element in accordance with thevariation, in tone quality, a lamp behind said element an illuminated bysaid lamp.

3. In a radio apparatus, tuning means, means for regulating the tonequality of the transmitted impulse, a window and means adapted toindicate simultaneously at said window the adjustments of saidtuningmeans and said regulating means. f v

4. In a radio apparatus, tuning means, means for regulating the tonequality of the transmitted impulse, an indicator for, said tuning'means,means for illuminating said indicator," anda varicolored screeninterposed between said illuminating means and said indicatorand'iconnected with said regulating means.

5. In the art of operating radio apparatus, the method comprising,regulating the tone quality of the transmitted impulse, and indicating aseries of progressively varying tone qualities by a sequence ofdifferent colors.

JULIAN E. SAMPSON. JOHN" C. SAMPSON.

v a station dial

